US Capitol Christmas Tree

Tale of a Tree and a Star

For many in the D.C. area, the arrival of the towering Capitol Christmas Tree means the holiday season has begun. Every year local residents and tourists
from all over the country, as well as delegations from the state that provides the tree, come to view the official lighting of what is fondly referred
to as “the people’s tree” on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill.

Since 1970 the U.S. Forest Service has provided the national Capitol Christmas Tree, and every
year it’s different and exciting in literally thousands of ways. This year’s tree, a 79-foot Engelmann spruce cut from the Kootenai National Forest in Montana, will be adorned with thousands of ornaments handmade by the children on Montana.

And in a first, the tree will have a star built in the same state. In August, organizers reached out to The Washington Companies, a Missoula-based
conglomerate that includes Montana Rail Link, mining company Montana Resources, and environmental remediation business Envirocon.

Architect of the Capitol with members of the Montana Congressional Delegation speaking as
well as USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. Speaker of the House
Paul Ryan presides over the ceremony, which will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6th on the West Lawn of the Capitol.

As is the tradition, a child from the home state will flip the switch to illuminate the tree. Ridley Brandmayr, an 11-year-old Bozeman boy who
lost the fingers of his right hand in an accident this summer, has been chosen by Montana Sen. Jon Tester to light the U.S. Capitol Christmas
tree at the outdoor ceremony.

The tradition of a U.S. Capitol Christmas tree dates to the 1960s. In 1964, a 24-foot Douglas fir was bought for $700 from a nursery in Birdsboro,
Pennsylvania, and placed on the West Front lawn. That tree died after a severe storm and root damage, but the tradition of a tree on the Capitol
grounds continued with the USDA Forest Service providing a tree from one of its forests.

A great deal of expertise is required to safely position the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in place. The next stop for the dangling colossus will be the West Lawn. (Photo credit: Robert Westover, U.S. Forest Service)

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The Willamette National Forest's Sweet Home Ranger District will be sending one large Capitol Christmas tree and 75 smaller companion trees back to Washington,
DC to adorn the Capitol buildings for the 2018 holiday season. That means a lot of decorations! We need your help to create a total of 10,000 handmade
ornaments to send to our nation's capital to decorate these Christmas trees. There are several ways to get involved:

Attend an ornament making event

The Willamette National Forest and its partners will be staffing ornament making booths at the following events. We’d love to have you join us! A list
of events is below, or can be downloaded as a part of this flyer.

Sweet Home Chamber Awards Banquet Dinner** - April 7 from 5-6PM, Sweet Home Boys and Girls Club

Host your own event!

We are in search of groups, schools, organizations and individuals who'd like to host their own 2018 Capitol Christmas Tree ornament making events. Any
ornaments made will help us reach our goal of 6,500 small ornaments and 3,500 large ornaments to adorn the Capitol Christmas trees in Washington DC!

Ornaments should reflect Oregon's cultural heritage, historical events or people and our natural resources. Let's show the nation why we are proud to be
from Oregon! Ornaments must meet the following specifications:

All ornaments must be received by October 1, 2018. They can be dropped off in person at any one of our drop locations located here or mailed to the Sweet
Home Ranger District at: 4431 Hwy 20, Sweet Home OR 97386.

For more information, or to ask additional questions, please contact Stefanie Gatchell or Nancy Shadomy at the Sweet Home Ranger Station: 541-367-5168
or capitolchristmastree2018@gmail.com.

Winter fun can be found from every direction! Santiam Pass and Willamette Pass are the main winter recreation areas for winter sports on the forest. Activities radiate from the sno-parks in each area. You can find cross-county ski trails, snowmobile trails, and places for sledding and snow play.

Sweet Home, Ore., January 19, 2018 – The Willamette National Forest announced today that Oregon has been selected to provide the 2018
United States Capitol Christmas Tree. A gift from the Willamette National Forest and the State of Oregon to the people of the United States, the tree
will be displayed on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., with a public tree-lighting ceremony in early December 2018.

Every year since 1970, the U.S. Forest Service has provided the Capitol Christmas Tree. This year, the Capitol Christmas Tree will be cut from the Sweet
Home Ranger District. Seventy smaller companion trees will also be sent to Washington, D.C., to decorate government buildings and public spaces this
December. Additionally, Oregonians will contribute 10,000 handmade ornaments, to be created throughout 2018. These ornaments will celebrate the state’s
cultural history and people, landscapes, natural resources, and fish and wildlife.

The theme for the 2018 Capitol Christmas Tree is “Find Your Trail!” in recognition of two 2018 anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of the National Trails
System Act, and the 175th commemoration of the Oregon Trail.

“We are thrilled to be delivering the 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, and we invite all Oregonians to be a part of this special experience throughout
2018—from making an ornament to exploring the Willamette National Forest with family and friends—in search of the perfect tree to send
to Washington, D.C.,” said Nikki Swanson, Sweet Home District Ranger, Willamette National Forest.

“There is a rich history of Oregon’s forests providing for the needs of Oregonians. The Willamette National Forest provides recreational opportunities,
fishing, hunting, mushroom harvesting, firewood, minerals, wood products and, of course, Christmas trees. We hope this yearlong Capitol Christmas Tree
event inspires people to explore the National Forests across Oregon, and to ‘Find Your Trail,’” she continued.

The last time Oregon was chosen to provide the Capitol Christmas Tree was in 2002, when a tree was selected from the Umpqua National Forest.

“We are very honored to have been chosen to provide the 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, and to share some of our state’s incredible beauty with the rest
of America,” said Oregon Governor Kate Brown. “Majestic, towering conifers have long stood as an icon of Oregon’s magnificent forests. This tree will
symbolize our rich natural resources, our deep Native American heritage, and the people of Oregon, who are known for their independent spirit, innovation
and love for our state’s diverse landscapes.”

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree’s Journey to Washington, D.C.

In November 2018, a modern-day wagon train carrying the Christmas tree and ornaments will begin its eastward journey from Sweet Home, following the path
of the Oregon Trail in reverse. The wagon train will make stops in a variety of communities across Oregon and the country before arriving in Washington,
D.C. The travel route, schedule and special events will be available at www.capitolchristmastree.com.

The Willamette National Forest has partnered with Choose Outdoors and Travel Oregon for the Capitol Christmas Tree project, and a host of partners, sponsors, and volunteers will contribute funding and thousands of hours to help make
ornaments and transport the tree from Oregon to Washington, D.C.

Opportunities for Public Participation Throughout 2018

Oregonians and Oregon visitors are invited to participate in U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree activities around the state during 2018, including helping to
find the perfect tree to go to Washington, D.C.

Find the tree! The public is invited to hike and drive the Willamette National Forest—outside of the City of Sweet Home—to
look for the perfect Capitol Christmas Tree. To submit a potential candidate tree, GPS the location, snap a photo, and send the submission to
capitolchristmastree2018@gmail.com, or drop your information off at the Sweet Home Ranger District Office. Guidelines: The
perfect tree is 65 to 85 feet in height with a conical shape that is visually pleasing from all angles. The tree must reside on U.S. Forest
Service land in the Sweet Home Ranger District, preferably close to a road that will allow for access for a semi-truck and cranes to harvest
the tree. Submission deadline: May 2018. Don’t forget to share your adventures on social media (Facebook and Twitter) with
the #USCapitolChristmasTree, #FindYourTrail and #ItsAllYours hashtags.

Join an ornament-making event or host your own. Ten thousand handmade ornaments will adorn the Capitol Christmas Tree and the 70 smaller
companion trees. There will be ornament-making events throughout Oregon in 2018. The first event will take place on January 20 at the Boys &
Girls Club in Sweet Home (1 p.m.; 890 18th Ave.). The Willamette National Forest also invites schools, churches and community groups to contribute
ornaments. There will be templates and instructions posted on the website and social media. For a schedule of events and further details, visit
www.capitolchristmastree.com.

See the Capitol Christmas Tree as it travels along the Oregon Trail in November 2018. The travel route, schedule and special events
will be available at www.capitolchristmastree.com.

Oregon’s Willamette National Forest was selected to choose and supply the People’s Tree for 2018 for the grounds of the Capitol Building
in Washington, D.C. The Willamette National Forest, together with Travel Oregon, has designed alogo that captures the beauty of the State of Oregon
and the Willamette National Forest, with its snowcapped mountain, fields of green and lush forests. The trail leading to the tree symbolizes the adventurous
spirit of Oregonians since early settlers first traversed the Oregon Trail. The logo encourages modern-day adventurers to #FindYourTrail in the Willamette
National Forest.